Radio Schuman - Von der Leyen's Commission roll call stirs mixed reactions

Von der Leyen's Commission roll call stirs mixed reactions

09/18/24 • 14 min

The European Parliament in Strasbourg was again divided — this time, it was the MEPs' opinions that were split after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her new batch of Commissioners.

Radio Schuman gathered different reactions from the MEPs Peter Liese, Christel Schaldemose, Moritz Körner, and Sergey Lagodinsky on the entire affair, including the fitness of individual Commissioners for their new tasks, big jobs that went to Eastern European and Baltic countries and the meme-inspiring animal welfare portfolio that went to a certain Olivér Várhelyi.

We also bring you a brief overview of the key issues set to dominate Wednesday's plenary session in Strasbourg, along with a timeline outlining the European Parliament's scrutiny and approval process for the newly announced Commissioner nominees.

Finally, we explore Europe's best and worst metro systems — spoiler alert: Brussels did not perform very well.

Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finally, we explore Europe's best and worst metro systems — spoiler alert: Brussels did not perform very well.

Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Will Breton's Final Salvo Rock von der Leyen's Boat Even Further?

Thierry Breton's surprisingly public last-minute resignation as France's European Commission nominee was the talk of the town on Monday.

While Paris quickly replaced the outgoing Commissioner with former MEP and Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Séjourné, Breton's final salvo aimed at Commission President Ursula von der Leyen further made sure her new mandate was off to a rocky start.

Will von der Leyen weather the storm, and is she really as opposed to critical voices among her Commissioners as Breton insinuated?

Today, Radio Schuman asks Elvire Fabry, a senior researcher at the Institut Jacques Delors, to comment on the Commission's fiery start to the week.

We also glance at the agenda for today's Parliament's Strasburg plenary session. Notably, a few last-minute changes occurred, with floods preventing Hungary's Prime MInister Viktor Orbán from making an appearance.

On a lighter note, we'll tell you which country in Europe has the best work-sleep balance and why.

Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Von der Leyen's bold move: Austria's Brunner gets migration

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's decision to assign the migration and home affairs portfolio to Austrian nominee Magnus Brunner was one of her most unexpected choices when deciding on the portfolios for her new College.

Vienna's recent tougher stance on EU migration policy, as well as Brunner's own background, sprung to the fore.

Austria was behind a long-standing veto against Bulgaria and Romania's entry into the Schengen Area, and Vienna also voted against and abstained from some key laws in the migration pact passed at the end of the previous mandate.

Furthermore, Brunner, a former finance minister, has no significant experience or track record in migration policy.

Today, Radio Schuman spoke with Spanish Socialist MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar, who was the rapporteur for the legislative file — the Crisis Management Regulation — that Austria opposed.

We also bring you a brief overview of the agenda for today, including an important meeting between the Commissioner in charge of trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, and China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles are expected to be the main topic of conversation.

And finally, are you a non-smoker who is bothered by others smoking or vaping around you?

In that case, there's good news from Brussels: the European Commission has recommended that EU countries ban outdoor smoking in places like café and restaurant terraces, bus stops and zoos. Will member states adopt these guidelines, or will they still allow people to light one up?

Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.